Lice Advice - Westminster,CA

Hi there.

First, I've been lucky and avoided that thus far with my kids and feel for you having to deal with that.

BUT, as a mother of kids in school, please don't just "not get to it" and send her back to school with eggs in her hair to pass it on to another child and mother who now also gets to deal with it. That's not fair.

Hopefully you get some good advice on how to get rid of them. Good luck!
-M

Im so sorry! I heard putting tea tree oil in olive oil and slathering it all over the scalp works. You leave it on all night with shower cap. You can also use tea tree oil at the base of the scalp and behind her ears as a preventative. Good luck!

Its been several years but my daughter with waist length hair at the time got them in school and after doing over the counter thing a couple times and combing forever. I finally went to the doctor and got a shampoo. And it was like magic. All it cost me was the the visit and the $10 presciption cost, so worth it. I wish I would of known that the doctor had something first it would of avoided all the pain and suffering the other way.

My son got it on an airplane, thank god none of the rest of us got it. We all washed to be safe, but I had to cut his hair to a buz cut because i was a freak checking his hair for 3 days straight like 20 times a day. Other friends that have girls with long hair have said to use vasaline on all hair over night then comb thru each strand to get eggs out. If you live in San Diego, there is a place called the hair fairies and they specialize in removal of lice and eggs. I think they are in the Carlsbad area. When you do get rid of them, put hairspray or gel on your daughters hair to prevent from getting again. They dont like the sticky effect of either. Im a freak about it and but gel in my sons hair everyday and has kept them away sence. Good luck!!!

All kids at some point get lice. I have five kids and know all about that problem. Yes wash her hair, then go through it with the comb (usually takes 3-5 hours to do this). Sterilize all hair brushes and combs. Buy the spray for couches, and chairs. Vacuum everyday and throw the bag away after you vacuum. Wash in hot water with Pine-sol, even the stuffed animals. Spray car with lice medication. Everyone in the house should do their hair. Ten days later this all has to be done again. Good luck!!

My son and daughter both got lice last year, so I know how frustrated you feel! My kindergartener passed in on to my toddler daughter, and it was very hard to get rid of those nasty little eggs... but hang in there- it can be done!

First, I would recommend get a better metalic lice comb than the one that comes in the kit. You can buy them at any beauty supply store. The one that comes in the kit is often a plastic comb with the teeth too far apart for it to be effective.

Then, make sure to be consistent with the treatments. You must do them according to the directions because eggs hatch every few days and you want to make sure to get them during all stages.

My last resort was to cut both my son's and my little girl's hair short, especially because their hair is curly and the eggs were just really stuck in there. That did the trick and since then (knock on wood) my kids have been lice free! Actually, we ended up loving my daughter's hair and have kept it short since then.

If you do have to cut your little girl's hair, don't worry- it'll grow back quickly! Hope this helps : ) Good luck.

Did you remember to do her backpack? Some moms forget this and it turns out to be the source of re-infestation.

I am so so so sorry for you. My daughter had lice in 3rd grade and it was one of the worst experiences ever, so I can totally relate to where you are coming from.

I did the shampoo, etc., and that seemed to work on the major stuff, but did not solve the nits. Every other night for about two weeks I sat her in front of the television as I combed through her hair, small section by small section, with the special lice brush. Every time I did this I would find some nits until eventually I found none. I used a big desk lamp to shine on her head as it made it easier to see the nits. She was not happy about what I was doing, but she understood we had no choice....and she liked to watch TV.

I pretty much just put all life on hold until the nits were gone. She actually did not miss that much school, but I can't really remember why.

So, just know that it will be an awful few weeks but then it will be over and you will have prevailed. And, of course, please make sure she really understands the rules about not sharing hats, hoods, brushes, etc. We think my daughter got hers from trying on Halloween cat ears at a store.

you'd have to search into this yourself because i'm not sure of the details...but, a gal i know has a daughter who got lice and she took her to a place/person called the "head fairy" - this is in west los angeles (not sure where you live). she swore by it.

good luck!

Try using Campho-Phenique (sp?). Many years ago my sister and I kept getting lice and that was the only product that worked for us. We bought a few bottles of the product and rubbed it on our scalp then did the comb. It was a miracle worker! Hope this helps because those things are pesky little buggers!

I know how you feel !!!!!!!!!
All 3 of mine had it and my little one just kept re-infesting from friends...

I used every type of product but the REAL issue is the remaining eggs. They actually make a natural cement to make them stick. The ONLY way is to get them with your nails or snip each hair that has them. Even the expensive professionals do it that way.

Oh, I so feel your pain. My daughter had it twice in kindergarten, the first time on Halloween. It's awful. The first time, I did exactly what you did. The second time, I called in professionals. If you can afford it, I highly recommend having a company like Lousy Nitpickers come to your house and check/treat everyone for lice. You still have to clean, but they use organic, non-toxic stuff, and the guy who came out was fantastic. There might be other companies out there now, too. Just to not have to stand over my daughter's head with a fine tooth comb for 2 hours and wonder if I got everything - totally worth it. Good luck.

I haven't dealt with this problem yet but I've heard some great advice from others who have. They recommend tea tree oil. Apparently, the lice don't like it and won't come near hair that has it, partly because they can't attach their eggs to shaft if its used. I know the Cool Cuts salon near my house sells a brand of shampoo product that contains tea tree oil specifically to deter lice. You can probably go cheaper though by just using a product that carries it. I know Trader Joe's had a tea tree line with shampoo and conditioner.

Good Luck with it!

Tea tree oil is GREAT for lice and bedding, rooms, etc.. I can't recall the exact amount but you are going to put some drops in a spray bottle then add water (google the recipe) and you can spray this on just about anything. Again, I'm not sure how much for her head or if you dilute it or not, so look it up first. We haven't been through this but the friends I know who have took my advice and it worked.

M.

I used coconut oil. And I would do my daughter and I at the same time, just in case. It was inexpensive, and actually good for your hair. We would put the jar in a pot of warm water to melt it and slather it all over our hair and scalp, pin it up and put on a shower cap. Then we would put an old towel around our necks for wiping up drips and clean and watch movies for 10-12 hours. Well, I cleaned, she watched movies and I joined her later. Thankfully we had a small place.

Then wash (and wash and wash) our hair then start combing out. It suffocates the lice and the eggs. And if you leave it on long enough the eggs swell up and become easier to see.

Also, do not reuse the comb with out boiling it. And the stuff you can't wash, bag up and keep it airtight for 3 weeks.

They are fun, aren't they? We've been challenged with them periodically with our daughter, too.

We avoid all those toxic shampoos.

My favorite product is Sunrider's Fruit and Vegetable Rinse (It is NOT like the rinses you get at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods)

You may also use vinegar, which will help to dissolve the glue that keeps the nits attached the the hair strands. Apply the vinegar then a plastic bag over the hair for at least an hour. (I prefer Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar.)

Tea Tree oil is great as well.

Good luck, dear soul.

Oh Ronday,

It really is miserable! However, after several tries with the Rid and all those nasty store products (and two bouts with the little guys coming back), a friend mentioned that 8 hours under swim caps with mayonnaise massaged into their heads (a ton of it), was a much better (and safer) way to go.

And they were all gone! For good. How I wish I had realized this before the girls both had short haircuts!

Hope this makes it all better!

Sorry to say that I have experience with this too and it's no fun at all. You can't just wash and comb. What worked for me was painstakingly picking out the eggs one by one with my finger nails. Sit your daughter down in front of the TV, turn the lights on bright and pick them out. The comb won't do it but your fingernails will. They are sticky little suckers. And then do that every single night until you don't find any more. Good luck!

Hi R.,

Welcome to the world of the pesky little creatures that lurk in your Childs classroom, bedroom, and every stuffed animal they ever had and will have......

Lice are not easy to get rid of because they multiply very rapidly..

Best treatment is the lice mister. Look on line. It was invented by several moms in Boston(about to lose there minds after several outbreaks). Please be careful of over the counter treatments. They can be very toxic and harmful to your child and many times not effective.

Best bet get your Childs hair cut short. Many of the boys in our school came back with shaved heads; please do not do this to your girl!!! Ha no matter how many bugs you find. Get your self a looking glass and take the kid out in the sun. Order you lice mister on line ASAP so you have it for future.

Do not throw the nits on the floor or ground. The can live up to two weeks off of a host so dipose of them properly. Glass of water and then down the toliet...

We have come up with our house hold remedy of the lice mister comb and olive oil. The comb is made with Special long metal teeth and very close together. Making it very difficult for a nit or louse to fall though the spaces. The oil makes the comb go through the hair easier. Pick out each nit (be prepared this takes hours) Remember to treat every person in the house hold especialy when you use the same brush, couch, pillow, towel. It may be a good time to have your children start using their own brush that sits in its own drawer. The last thing you want to do is to tell your hubby when he gets home from work this evening is (honey please sit down right here in the light) so I can check your head for bugs!

My hubby and I now laugh about it but as you know it is not a fun process. Feel grateful you are not in the school in Huntington Beach that sent home 76 children last week with lice...

Good luck finding every louse!

Sita Helms
Executive Director
Helping Hand Worldwide
Advocate for Children
____@____.com

make sure you yourself dont have lice or other family members. the little combing is very important. i rinsed my daughters hair with vinegar and water after every bath. lice jump off right away.

This is a little late but when my girls were younger, we had a major bout with lice. The medicated lice shampoo did not work with them. I went on the internet and found a company that sold non-toxic lice products and never had a problem again. You may want to check it out. They even do the removal for you...http://www.hairfairies.com/
Good luck!

About 2 years ago i had the same problem! I did not want to keep putting all that chemical in my daughters hair. I went to a natural foods store (Boneys) and bought a kit there. I am telling you-used it once and it was amazing (and gross). As soon as i sprayed the oil substance-the lice were coming out to the top og her hair so i literally caought each one-i know its grosss- and she never had anything again. Of course i still used the furniture spray and did pic her hair for about a month! But i never found anything again. Good luck!!! Ph, and we used tea tree shampoo as a preventitive for a while.

the over the counter lice products do not work. I know. I have 3 daughters and they did not work on them. My neighbors ran into the same. Read on line to put mayonaise or olive oil (lots) on dry hair. cover every strand. put seran wrap or a plastic cap on and leave over night. the oils suffocate the lice. they will not survive this. Works every time.In the morning wash it out and than pick out the nits. The hair gets conditioned too! I used the mayo, heard the olive oil is hard to wash out. Good luck!!!

Vinager mix with some water (I bought a spray bottle did about half & half) it smells bad but it losens the nits and will make them easier to comb out. Good luck!

I feel your pain! I have six daughters and we had 4 outbreaks in 9 months of head lice. I thought I would lose my mind! This is what I did. I used the over the counter shampoos as directed and then would take a capful of tea tree oil (you can get it at Wal-Mart for about $8) to a gallon of warm water and would rinse my girls' hair with that. I would then take the Rid teeny tiny lice comb and comb in very bright light. Sunlight is great. I would comb and comb and comb. I would also pick eggs out with my fingernails. We did get rid of it and it only took 1 washing and a couple of combings. I also retreated a week later with the lice shampoo. I also did all the laundry: bedding, towels, clothing, etc. It was very expensive and time consuming for a family of eight to deal with this 4 times in less than a year. Take heart! You will get rid of it. Ask the school nurse to show you where the eggs still are. Ask for her opinion on how to best get rid of it. God bless you!

Hi Rhonda. I just wanted to give you some prevention tips. I am a teacher so my students get lice a lot! If she does dress up in Kinder...I would say don't have her do it. It's not worth getting lice! If she has pillows in the class or things of that nature that she leans her head on, tell her not to lean on them! I got rid of all my pillows in my class due to a bunch of my students getting lice. Also, kids share things. Tell her not to share jackets or hair accessories with her friends at school. And lastly the school nurse told me that EVERY DAY she put her child's hair in a pony tail. She said she saw too many cases of lice to risk it. Good luck!

I haven't checked all the posts you have gotten but here's what I did. My kids are very light blond so I had to sit in the direct sunlight to get them all. The eggs will show up much better there. Don't use that poison on her anymore. Just sit (and it will take at least a couple hours) and comb them out. She likely doesn't have any more bugs. The trouble spots are behind the ears and at the nape of the neck. Those are the best hiding spots for the eggs. I do not envy you and I wish you the best of luck! Also, once I got an egg out I put them in a container of rubbing alcohol just to make sure they were good and dead, then tossed the container.

This is a tough one!! Did you use the little comb that comes with the shampoo. Also, all hats, pillows, stuffed animals and the car seat, hmmm, what else??? Brushes, your hair and everyone in the family... towels and all her clothes, they are somewhere that she is all the time for them to continue to comeback...you can beat these vermin!!!

My Dr. recommended to leave the shampoo in my daughter's hair longer than suggested on the packet. He said to take the plastic wrap used by dry cleaners and wrap my daughter's hair in it and leave the shampoo in for extra time (you'll want to confirm how much longer as I honestly don't remember; this was 5 yrs ago for me). Then proceed with all he other steps. Sita Helms gave great advice.
Good luck!

Hi R. well their is a comb that has teeth on both sides ussually sold in mexican stores:) But then you need to thread sewing tread thru the teeth.Then comb her hair and the eggs should come out:) good luck if you live in Cali maybe I can help you let me know and I can meet you and go get it with you. I live in Monrovia,ca
sincerely,
D.:)

We've been there too!! No need to panic, but be diligent. We were fortunate to find www.louseynitpickers.com. The wonderful staff comes to your home, treats the child, checks the other family members (more than 1/2 the time someone else in the family has lice too!) and gives you everything you need to know to get rid of them. They are pricey (over $100/hour.)
If that is out of the budget, try the lice comb with tons of conditioner and comb them out. They stick to the comb.

A friend of mine used olive oil, yes olive oil on her daughter and it worked perfectly. Her daughter has extremely thick curly hair that is nearly impossible to brush. When she got lice they thought they were going to have to shave her head! Apparently a lady told her to completely soak her daughters head in olive oil (the cheap stuff works fine), then wrap tightly in 2 plastic bags and sleep with the bags over her hair. She did that and the next day they rinsed her hair out in the bathtub and all of the lice and eggs came out. They did do it a second night just as a followup because her hair is so thick, but she never had any more after that. Good luck!